The Canadian government slighted the indigenous community suffering 100 suicide attempts — and it could become a major problem

People
take part in a march and candlelight vigil in the Attawapiskat
First Nation in northern Ontario, Canada, April 15,
2016.Reuters/Chris
Wattie

Residents of Attawapiskat, the small Canadian aboriginal
community that has suffered
more than 100 suicide attempts in the last nine months, say
the Canadian government’s response to the crisis has left them
feeling demoralized.

Attawapiskat resident Jackie
Hookimaw-Witt told Business Insider that a local
movement arose weeks ago among community members to deal with the
crisis.

Hookimaw-Witt's 13-year-old grand-niece Sheridan Hookimaw took
her own life last October.

Days before Shisheesh's emergency declaration, more than 100
residents held a prayer walk in honor of those who had been
affected by suicide in recent months. Youth in the
community held a healing circle in the local gymnasium,
where the Hookimaw family spoke about Sheridan. Hookimaw-Witt
described the local movement as "complete and healing and
empowering."

On April 18, Canada’s indigenous affairs minister Carolyn
Bennett and Charlie Angus, a member of parliament
representing the area that includes Attawapiskat, flew
out to
visit the northern Ontario community to address the
crisis. The officials held a private meeting with Shisheesh
before meeting with the community's youth council, a move that
Hookimaw-Witt said many the community members saw as a
slight.

"Instead of having separate meetings, the Chief and council
should invite the public and youth council to sit together in the
same room — like a family," she said. "[That's] how we do things
Indigenous-style."

Shortly after Bennett and Angus's arrival, Hookimaw-Witt
says the community's feelings grew negative as the officials
appearedmore concerned about looking good in front
of the media than renewing relations with the community.

During the visit, government officials offered few concrete
solutions other than promises for a new youth center
and programs. Details and dollar figures for the youth center
were not discussed. Hookimaw-Witt questioned why the
officials never discussed education reform, or what youth will do
in the meantime before the center gets built.

“When bureaucracy takes over, that was it. It just seems it was
disempowering. The grassroots was hushed out,” said
Hookimaw-Witt.

Charles Hookimaw, an Attawapiskat First Nation member who now
lives in North Bay, Ontario, told Business Insider he is often
skeptical of the promises made by the provincial and federal
government to First Nations communities. He said in his
experience, government officials who visit
Attawapiskat or offer assistance to First Nations
communities frequently bring more red tape than solutions.

"Right now there hasn't been any concrete response — I haven't
seen anything yet," Hookimaw said. "Ontario gives a little bit of
help here and there, but that money will end up going toward
administration fees ... It's all bureaucratic process and
everything."

Since the government officials’ visits to the community, Chief
Shisheesh noted in a statement that while no specific details
had been provided regarding the establishment of the youth
center and “healing programs” in Attawapiskat, the community is
“cautiously optimistic” about the future.

“The problems of our community were not created overnight, they
have festered overtime [sic], and are now only becoming exposed,”
he said. “We need a long period of stability to heal and regain
the hope that we have misplaced due to our chronic issues. We
want to work with all levels of government to provide help for
our community so we can cast off this shadow and move forward.”